Ford Green Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ford Green Hall
Ford Green Hall
Location	Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
OS grid reference	SJ 8873 5086
Built	1624
Governing body	Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated	2 October 1951
Reference no.	1220313
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Ford Green Hall is a special old farmhouse in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. It is now a historic house museum, meaning you can visit it to see what life was like long ago. The oldest parts of the house were built in the late 1500s. Another part was added or fixed up in the early 1700s.

On the grounds of the hall, there is also an old building called a dovecote from the 1700s. Both the hall and the dovecote are protected as important historic buildings.

The hall is located in the east of Smallthorne. It used to be surrounded by a large farm, about 36 acres big. Over time, houses and a nature reserve have been built around it. So now, the hall has smaller grounds.

Sometimes, people confuse Ford Green Hall with another old house called Ford Green House. They are both in Smallthorne, but they are different buildings.

The Story of Ford Green Hall

Ford Green Hall was likely built in 1624 for a local farmer named Hugh Ford. His family, the Fords, lived in the house for about 200 years. During the 1600s, a part of the house made of bricks was added. This probably replaced an older section or made it much better.

The Ford family moved away by the 1800s. After they left, different people rented the house. It was even split into three separate homes for a while. During this time, the special timber frame on the outside was covered with white plaster.

Ford Green Hall as a Museum

The city council of Stoke-on-Trent bought the property in 1946. After being carefully fixed up, it opened as a museum in 1952.

Today, Ford Green Hall looks like a farmer's house from the 1600s. Inside, you can see many original items from that time. These include old fabrics, pottery, and furniture. There are also some copies of items to help show how things looked.

The museum's collection is considered "Outstanding" by the Arts Council England. This means it is very important and recognized around the world.

The hall also has a café where visitors can relax. It even has a special license for people to get married there.

In 2011, the city council had to cut its budget, and the museum faced closing down. But in 2014, a group of local volunteers formed a charitable organisation called Ford Green Hall Ltd. They took over managing the museum, keeping it open for everyone to enjoy.

In recent years, the timber frame of the building needed repairs. For a short time, it was on the "Heritage at Risk Register" until the repairs were completed.

How Ford Green Hall Was Built

Outside the Hall

Ford Green Hall is a mix of old and even older styles. One part of the house, built in the early 1500s, has a special black-and-white timber frame. This frame is decorated with diamond shapes and fancy railings. This older section has windows with two or three vertical bars, called mullions. It also has a two-story entrance porch with a pointed roof. Above the inner door of the porch, you can see the name "Ralph Sutton, Carpenter" carved into a beam.

The other part of the house is made of brick. It was probably built in the early 1700s. This brick section might have replaced an older part of the building. Or, it could have been a big update to an existing structure. A special pipe that collects rainwater has a date on it, possibly showing this section was built in 1734.

Inside the Hall

The doors inside the house have curved, pointed archways. These are like a style called Gothic or ogival. They are decorated with a design called a fleur-de-lys, which looks like a lily flower.

The main staircase is thought to be either original to the house or an early replacement from the 1600s. It has decorative posts, called balusters, and newel posts with acorn-shaped tops.

The Dovecote

Next to the hall is an old brick dovecote from the early 1700s. A small brick wall connects the dovecote to the house. It is a square building with a plain tiled roof. This dovecote is also part of the protected historic status of Ford Green Hall.